CDEMA and Education ministry light the way to a more resilient Ellerslie

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) is joining forces with the Ministry of Education to bolster the resilience of Ellerslie Secondary School in light of a predicted very active hurricane season. This initiative is part of the broader Model Safe School programme, benefiting 33 schools across the region, including Ellerslie.

Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank and the Norwegian government to the tune of €764 494, the programme aims to enhance emergency preparedness, crisis response, and security protocols in schools.

At a handover ceremony on Tuesday, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw announced significant improvements to lighting at the St Stephen’s, Black Rock, St Michael school, aimed at creating a safe and conducive learning environment.

“Through collaboration with CDEMA, we successfully procured essential electrical and lighting fixtures. These fixtures include LED lights, weatherproof fixtures, and flood light fixtures which will be installed across classrooms, bathrooms, staff rooms, corridors, and stairwells of the junior block,” she said, adding that the benefits of the programme also included savings on the school’s electricity bill.

Dr Archer-Bradshaw highlighted the dual benefits of enhanced safety and energy efficiency, noting that the improvements would “create a more comfortable environment for you and a safer environment while learning and working, contributing to your overall wellbeing and productivity of everyone at this school.”

Kester Craig, deputy executive director of CDEMA, emphasised the importance of building resilience in the face of environmental threats, not only to Barbados, but also the rest of the Caribbean.

“It encompasses the integration of resilience within the primary, secondary and tertiary curriculum . . . it must be integrated, and people must practise it from the nursery level, right up to the tertiary level,” he stated.

Craig also stressed the need to embrace new technologies, presenting opportunities for  young leaders to be innovative and to collaborate.

“What we need to look at is what are the new technologies that are available in terms of artificial intelligence and how we use those technologies to build resilient communities, resilient schools,” the CDEMA official advised.

Norwegian Ambassador Beate Stir, in a recorded message, expressed satisfaction that her government’s contribution would benefit hundreds of Caribbean citizens.

Principal Andrea Baptiste thanked all parties involved, stating that “the initiative would go a long way” in enhancing the school’s resilience.

As the Caribbean prepares for future challenges, this programme is expected to represent a significant step towards creating safer, more resilient educational institutions.